Nobody knew until the first speech of the day that Prof Stephen Hawking, the world renowned scientist famous for his work on the origins of the universe, would not be able to attend on doctor's orders; I believe that the university only became aware of this 10 minutes before the symposium started, that they hoped he would be well enough to bask in the glittering tributes and accolades from his peers and fellow scientists from around the world.

I feel extremely privileged to be able to attend a symposium to mark the 70th birthday of physicist Professor Stephen Hawking, a brilliant cosmologist acclaimed globally whose life has surpassed medical expectations.